Press for working sheet metal.



No. 697,477. Patented Apr. l5, I902.

E. F. GRIFFIN & w. E. mass PRESS FOR WORKING SHEET METAL.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 $heets-Sheet l.

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No. 697,477. v

E. F. GRIFFIN .8. w. E. mass PRESS-FOR WORKING SHEET METAL.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

LETIESEES- m: scams PETERS 00,. PNOTMJTNQ. WASHINGTON. n. c.

' Patented Apr. 15,. I902.

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No. 697,477. Patented Apr. 15, I902.

E.- F. amrrm & w. E. mass. PRVESS FOB WORKING SHEET METAL.

(Application filed Dec. 26, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST FEATHERSTONE GRIFFIN, OF FINOHLEY, AND XVALTER EDIVARD HIGGS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PRESS FOR WORKING SHEET METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,477,-da.ted April 15, 1902. Application filed December 26,1901. Saar... 87,142. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ERNEST FEATHER- STONE GRIFFIN, residing at Finchley, and WALTER EDWARD Hrecs, residing at London,

England, subjects of the King of Great Brit ain, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Presses for Working Sheet Metal, of which the following is a specification.

: Our invention relates to presses for' working sheet metal, and is chiefly designed to en- .able the sideseams of sheet-metal boxes or cans to be compressed byimpact, so as to form a fluid-tight joint.

An important feature of our said invention consists inthe employment of a yieldinglysupported horn onto which an article-such, for example, as a can-body can be placed, this horn being arranged to remain nor 2o mally at a short distance above an anvil or cradle shaped to fit the under. side of the said horn. Above the said horn is arranged a vertically-reciprocating punch for acting on the outside of the seam. By this means when 2 5 the punch strikes the seam on a can-body or other object placed on the horn the said canbody together with the horn are moved downward until they come to rest on the anvil or cradle above mentioned, when a dead blow is struck on the seam, thereby compressing the same into a recess in the horn and bringing the several folds of metal into close contact with each other.

Our said invention also comprises means for-enabling a can-body to be easily placed in position on the horn to bring the inwardlyprojecting side seam into registration with the recess in the horn. For this purpose the metal forming one edge of the said recess is made in the form of a springsupported blade, against which one edge of the seam can be placed. When the punch'descends, the said blade descends with it until its upper surface is flush with the adjacent surface of the horn, whereupon the said upper surface acts similarly to the remainder of the surface of the horn.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the essential parts of our improved press with the punch and horn in their raised positions, the horn being shown partly in transverse section. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, showing the punch and horn in their lowermost positions. Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a plan with the punch removed.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 7

a. is the vertical standard of a press.

b is the shank of a punch c, which shank is secured in the vertically-reciprocating head of the press, which can be of any usual construction, operated by a rotary crank and connecting-rod or by a rotary cam or in any other suitable manner.

On the standard care mounted brackets d e, in which are formed vertical bearings f g to receive a shaft h, capable of sliding freely therein. On the shaft h is fixed a laterallyextended shoej, which has afaced surface or surfaces sliding against a faced surface or surfaces on the front of the standard a and which bears a horn It. A spring Z normally holds the horn 7c in its uppermost position, with the shoe j in contact with the bracket 01.. The above construction insures that the born when raised and lowered will move parallel to itself.

The bracket e is made larger and stronger than the bracket (1 and bears an anvil or cradle m, on which the horn 70 comes to rest when forced down by the punch 0, thus enabling a dead blow to be struck on an object on the said horn.

The horn is is providedin its upper part with a hardened-steel block n, in which there is formed a depression 0 to receive the seam to be compressed. One side of the depression 0 is formed by a blade 10, which is yield-. ingly supported on springs q and is provided 0 with a lateral projection or stop 1' for engaging with the outer wall of a recess w in the block at in order to limit the outward travel of the blade. In the innermost position of the said blade its upper surface is flush with 5 the external surface of the-horn is, Fig. 2.

The operation of our improved apparatus is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, a canbody If, for example, is slid on the horn is, with 10v its side seam w over the recess 0, this being easily efiected by keeping the corresponding edge of the side scam in contact with the edge of the blade 19 as the can-body is slid on. The longitudinal location of the side seam u relatively to the ends of the recess 0 is determined by placing the inner end of the said recess at such a distance from the face 12 of the shoe j that when the end of the can-body abuts against the said face the ends of the side seam it will not extend beyond the ends of the recess 0. On the descent of the punch a, which can have a smooth surface of corresponding curvature to the external surface of the horn is, the blade 1) is first depressed by the can-body t, whereupon the seam a is struck a slight blow, due to the resistance offered by the spring Z and by the inertia of the horn 7;. On the further descent of the punch c the born 70 and can-bodyt descend with it until they come to rest on the anvil or cradle m, when a dead blow is struck on the seam u, whereby the layers of metal forming the same are brought into close contact with each other and the layer of metal on the What we claim is- 1. The combination, in a press, of a standard, a punch, a horn, guide-surfaces on said horn, guides on said standard for guiding said horn, a spring acting on said horn, and a cradle arranged in the path of said horn, substantially as, and for the purpose, hercinbefore described.

2. The combination, in a press, of a punch, a standard, guide-brackets on said standard, a shaft in said brackets, a shoe on said shaft, a spring acting on said shoe, guide-surfaces on said shoe, corresponding guide-surfaces on said standard, a horn on said shoe, and a correspondingly-shaped cradle arranged in the path of said horn, substantially as described. 4

3. The combination, in a press, of a standard, a punch, a horn, a recess in the surface of said horn, a movable blade forming one edge of said recess, springs acting outwardly on said blade, a stop for limiting the outward travel of said blade, guide-surfaces on said standard and on said horn, a spring acting on said horn, and a cradle arranged in the path of said horn, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST FEATHERSTONE GRIFFINl WALTER EDWARD HIGGS. Witnesses:

GEORGE HARRISON, HENRY W. LYNDEN. 

